Principles of Strong
Application Materials
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
Before you start writing, answer the following questions:

Who will be reading your documents?

What skills, experiences, or values are most important to them? Read the job
description carefully and research their organization.

How can you connect your experiences with their needs?
HIGHLIGHT RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Select a format that emphasizes your most relevant experience.

Why are you applying for this position? Make connections that show how your
experience is relevant. Don’t make the employer guess!

For less relevant experiences, highlight the transferable skills that are used in both
positions.
ARTICULATE YOUR VALUE

Demonstrate what you did and emphasize your skills using specific examples.

Show the impact of your work and what sets you apart from other applicants.

Use action verbs that draw attention to your role.
MAKE IT VISUALLY APPEALING
Hiring organizations receive many documents and scan them quickly. To make a strong
impression in a short amount of time:

Choose a simple layout with white space and clear fonts.

Put important information in highly visible locations—at the top or left side.

Use bold, italics, and capitalization strategically.

Keep it clear and concise.

Proofread, proofread, proofread until the document is flawless.
217-333-4610 | [email protected] | grad.illinois.edu/CareerDevelopment
Rev 06/2014
ACTION VERBS FOR APPLICATION MATERIALS
Abstracted
Accelerated
Accomplished
Accumulated
Achieved
Acquired
Acted
Adapted
Addressed
Adjusted
Administered
Advanced
Advertised
Advised
Advocated
Aided
Allocated
Allowed
Analyzed
Answered
Applied
Appraised
Approved
Arbitrated
Arranged
Assembled
Assessed
Assigned
Assisted
Assured
Attained
Attended
Authored
Authorized
Balanced
Bargained
Bartered
Bolstered
Briefed
Budgeted
Built
Calculated
Cared
Cataloged
Catered
Chaired
Charged
Checked
Clarified
Classified
Coached
Collaborated
Collated
Collected
2
Communicated
Compared
Compiled
Completed
Composed
Computed
Conceived
Conceptualized
Conducted
Consolidated
Constructed
Consulted
Contracted
Contributed
Controlled
Converted
Convinced
Cooperated
Coordinated
Corrected
Correlated
Corresponded
Counseled
Created
Critiqued
Customized
Debated
Decided
Defined
Delegated
Delivered
Demonstrated
Designed
Detailed
Detected
Determined
Developed
Devised
Diagnosed
Directed
Discovered
Discriminated
Dispatched
Dissected
Distributed
Documented
Doubled
Drafted
Drove
Earned
Edited
Educated
Effected
Eliminated
Empathized
Enabled
Encouraged
Enforced
Engineered
Enlightened
Enlisted
Entertained
Established
Evaluated
Examined
Executed
Exercised
Expanded
Expedited
Experimented
Explained
Extrapolated
Facilitated
Fashioned
Figured
Filed
Financed
Fixed
Followed
(through)
Forecasted
Formed
Formulated
Fostered
Founded
Furnished
Gathered
Generated
Graphed
Guaranteed
Guided
Handled
Headed
Helped
Hired
Identified
Illustrated
Imagined
Implemented
Improved
Improvised
Increased
Influenced
Informed
Initiated
Innovated
Inspected
Inspired
Installed
Instituted
Instructed
Integrated
Interpreted
Interviewed
Introduced
Invented
Investigated
Issued
Judged
Justified
Keynoted
Launched
Learned
Lectured
Led
Licensed
Listened
Lobbied
Located
Maintained
Managed
Manipulated
Mapped
Marketed
Mastered
Maximized
Mediated
Mentored
Merged
Met (deadlines)
Methodized
Minimized
Moderated
Modified
Monitored
Negotiated
Observed
Obtained
Operated
Ordered
Organized
Originated
Overcame
Overhauled
Oversaw
Participated
Perceived
Performed
Persuaded
Pioneered
Planned
Prepared
Presented
Prioritized
Problem solved
Processed
Procured
Produced
Programmed
Projected
Promoted
Proposed
Proved
Provided
Publicized
Purchased
Raised
Ran
Ranked
Reasoned
Recommended
Reconciled
Recorded
Recruited
Reduced
Referred
Refined
Reflected
Regulated
Reinforced
Related
Reorganized
Repaired
Reported
Represented
Reproduced
Researched
Responded
Restored
Retained
Retrieved
Revamped
Reviewed
Revised
Revitalized
Satisfied
Saved
Scanned
Scheduled
Screened
Selected
Served
Serviced
Set goals
Set up
Shaped
Shared
Simplified
Sold
Solved
Sparked
Specified
Spoke
Stimulated
Streamlined
Strengthened
Structured
Studied
Styled
Submitted
Substituted
Succeeded
Summarized
Supervised
Supplied
Supported
Surveyed
Sustained
Symbolized
Synthesized
Systemized
Tabulated
Tailored
Talked
Taught
Tested
Tracked
Trained
Transported
Updated
Upgraded
Upheld
Utilized
Validated
Verified
Visualized
Wrote
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